Job description
Development of home monitoring for pregnancies and babies at risk is currently considered of utmost importance. First of all, it will improve a healthy start as fetus and later infant can mature in their home environment. In addition, as shortages of staff occur and hospital care is outgrowing its budget, smart technologies are needed to make current healthcare more sustainable and accessible for the future.
In this project, 3 PhD students will collaborate. The vacancy is for the PhD student for neonatal monitoring.
The focus of the PhD project will be the development of unobtrusive 24/7 infant monitoring, particularly focusing on respiration and sleep monitoring. As many infants cared for in an intensive care environment develop disturbed motion and sleep rhythm, monitoring disturbances in movements, sleep and respiration patters can give an early indication that medical support should be sought.
Non-contact actigraphy methods are a possible option for non-contact sleep monitoring, and at Eindhoven University of Technology, a fiber-optics mat has been developed that can function as a very sensitive motion sensor. A proof of principle study has shown that with this low-cost fiber-optics method, motion can be measured in premature infants and the first results are promising but further research and development of the fiber mattress is needed to make it useful for home monitoring.
Development of sleep monitoring for home use is important as it allows for the infant to be monitored after discharge in its own environment. Via telemonitoring consult, the parents can be given advice on adjustments to improve sleep and thus promote growth and maturation.
Goal:
This project will focus on further technological development of the fiber mattress to detect motion and respiration and will investigate the clinical feasibility of the fiber-optics mat for sleep-wake monitoring, both for hospital and home use in preterm infants after discharge. Particular attention will be needed to evaluate new parameters and features to detect sleep/wake patterns as the golden standard (based on EEG measurement or polysomnography) cannot easily be used in a home situation for these small infants.
A long standing collaboration between Eindhoven University of Technology and Máxima Medical center aims to give new life a healthy start. In this collaboration, students, researchers, engineers and physicians collaborate to invent new technologies for pregnancy and neonatal care. Several spin-offs have been started from this collaboration. Two companies are involved in this project, for neonatal monitoring Luxisens is the main industrial partner in the project.
Foreseen tasks in the project
- Fiber mat and post-processing need to be developed to quantify motion patterns;
- Relate motion patterns from fiber-optics mat to sleep-patterns (PSG golden standard);
- Clinical study ‘hospital at home’ to monitor simultaneously with fiber mat and conventional monitoring equipment;
- Feasibility study to investigate use at home.
Job requirements
Candidates must have a two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master’s degree in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, applied physics or similar.
Conditions of employment
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university and clinical care setting, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:
- Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
- Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P.
- A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
- The position requires flexibility to work in academic and clinical environment as part of the project is in Maxima Medical Center, where you will have a shared office in the clinical physics department, and in the Biomedical Diagnostics Lab at TU Eindhoven.
- High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
- An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children’s day care and sports facilities.
- An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
- A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.
Information and application
About us
Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.
Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact the hiring manager, prof.dr.ir. Carola van Pul, c.v.pul[at]tue.nl or dr.ir. Rik Vullings, r.vullings[at]tue.nl
Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HRServices.flux[at]tue.nl.
Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.
Application
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:
- a cover letter explaining your motivation and suitability for the position;
- a detailed Curriculum Vitae;
- a written scientific report in English (MSc thesis, traineeship report or scientific paper);
- copies of diplomas with course grades (transcripts).
We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.